1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to connection units for telecommunication lines, consisting of a range of insulating boxes disposed side by side on at least one common support extending across said boxes. Each box comprises at least two rows of connection elements disposed the one along the side of said box which is oriented in the direction of said common support, the other along the side opposite the first side. Internal connection means are provided for interconnecting each connection element of one row and the registering connection element of the other row. Corresponding protection means consisting for example of fuses or lightning arresters are adapted to be disposed in proper alignment along said internal connection means.
2. THE PRIOR ART
In hitherto known connection units of this character, such as the unit described and illustrated in the French Pat. No. 2,440,636, the protection means are disposed by pairs within the protection modules. These protection modules are enclosed in cells provided in each insulating box, along the rows of connection elements. However, a connection box of this type is objectionable for, even when it is desired to use it without protection means, i.e. by removing the modules therefrom, its overall dimensions remains unchanged and therefore maximal. Moreover, the evolution with time of the protection means is prevented since the volume of the cells provided for receiving the protection modules is fixed once for all. To change this volume, it would be necessary to change the insulating box, thus precluding any possibility of standardizing these insulating boxes.